Valve, valve seat, port, and cooling apparatus therefor



May 23, 1933. c. BALOUGH 1,909,926

VALVE, VALVE SEAT, PORT, AND COOLING APPARATUS THEREFOR I Filed Dec. 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l v grwmfo'c y 1933- c. BALOUGH 1,909,926

VALVE, VALVE SEAT, PORT, AND COOLING APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwvenlcw motors, and

Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Om BAIIOUGH, O1 CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HERCULES ION CORPORATION, 01' CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO VAL VE VAT-VB SEAT, PORT, AND COOLING AIPARA'IUS THEREFOR Application ma December 1:, 1929. Serial No. 413,901.

My invention relates to the valves, valve seats, and ports of engines, and more particularly 0 internal combustlon engines or to the cooling apparatus therefor.

The usual internal combustion motor includes, in combination with other usual parts, a cylinder block having one or more cylinders formed therein, a piston operatively mounted in each cylinder, a cylinder head 1ntegrally o'r separably mounted upon one end of the cylinder block and closing one end of each cylinder for -forming a combustion chamber in the cylinder between the inner surface of the head and the opposite end of the piston, intake and exhaust ports formed usually in the cylinder block and extending between the cylinder combustion chambers m a cooling medium suc and intake and exhaust manifolds, valve seats formed usually in the inner ends of the ports, reciprocating valves operatively mounted in the motor and the valves including heads fitting the valve seats whereby properly tlmed reciprocation of the valves opens and closes communication between the cylinder combustion chambers and the ports, and apparatus for flowing a cooling medium such as water about the ports, and other parts of the motor which become hot during operation of the motor.

When the motor is running, exhaust gases at relatively high temperatures are forced out between the opened exhaust valve heads and their seats into the exhaust ports.

It is customary according to usual practice to make the cylinder block walls comprising the valve seats and exhaust ports nonuniform in thickness of metal, and to form elbows or tortuous passageways in the exhaust ports which frequently have non-uniform cross-sectional areas.

In the usual motor, for cooling the valve seats and exhaust ports, as well as the inlet ports, cylinders, and cylinder head, jacket chambers are formed adjacent these parts in the cylinder block, and in the cylinder head, and the jacket chambers communicate with each other and with a pump and radiator, and

as water is circulated by the pump through the jacket chambers and radiator.

In the usual motor, however, the jacket chambers have only partially surrounded the valve seats and exhaust ports, and the cooling medium has not been caused to flow directly from the radiator and pump to the hot test parts of the motor, that is to the valve ports and seats.

The partial water jacketing of the valve seats and the use of non-uniform thickness of metal in the walls forming the valve seats and ports, has contributed toward non-uni- .form expansion of the cylinder block at the valve seat causing distortion of the valve and seat and consequent leakage at high operating temperatures.

The above described usual construction and arrangement of the valve seats has also contributed toward cracking of the c linder block and improper cooling of the va ves.

In greater detail, the usual practice of making valve seats and ports, resulting in distortion of the valve seats, has caused the head of a valve operating in a distorted seat to make only a partial closing contact with its seat during high operating temperatures, and accordingly has prevented the proper cooling of the valve head, since the valve head cooling takes lace when the valve head is in contact with t e seat.

In such cases, certain alloy valves such as silichrome valves reach a temperature high enough during operation to cause the silicon to be sweated out of the valve in the form of microscopic beads of liquid which gather on the valve head and are pounded on its seat, and when the seat is formed in the usual cast iron cylinder blocks, these beads of liquid silicon pick up small carbon articles from the cast iron seat, and the ultimate result is a pittingof both the valve and the valve seat. The distortion and pitting of the valves and valve seats necessitates frequent valve and valve seat grinding. Ultimately, the frequent valve seat grinding results in a weakening of the cylinder block, necessitating replacement of the same.

1 On the other hand when exhaust ports include elbows or tortuous passageways, as

.of the same during t eir passage through the ort.

P The expansion and slowing up of the gases increases the time in which any unit quantity of the hot gases is located within an exhaust port, thereby resultin in the radiation of a substantial amount 0 the heat of each unit quantity of the gases from the same to the surrounding parts including the walls of the exhaust port and the valve seat, and the valve head and valve stem.

The objects of the present improvements include the provision in a hydrocarbon motor of an improved construction and arrangement of valves, valve seats, ports, and cooling apparatus therefor, which will obviate and minimize the foregoing disadvantages of the usual types thereof.

These objects are attained in the present invention by forming in the cylinder block, a wall of substantially symmetrically arranged metal of substantially uniform thickness at each valve seat, and by further forming in the cylinder block cooling medium jacket chambers which entirely surround the valve seats and ports, thereby maintaining the valve seat cool and of symmetrical proportions during operation even under the most severe conditions and insuring a uniform contact between each valve and its seat, and as a consequence insuring proper cooling of the valve and preventing both distortion thereof and also sweating of microscopic particles of silicon from the valve head to the seating surface thereof;

By forming each port by a metal wall havin%a substantially uniform thickness;

forming each valve stem guide by a metal wall having a substantially uniform thickness;

By forming about each valve stem guide a water jacket extending as closely as possible to the valve head;

By making the ports substantially straight longitudinally and eliminating therefrom elbows and other internal surface characteristics tending to create turbulence;

By maintaining each exhaust port from its exhaust valve seat to its outlet orifice, where the'exhaust manifold is attached, at a substantially uniform cross-sectional area in its central portion, and by gradually increasing the cross-sectional area at the valve seat end and at the outlet orifice end of each exhaust port for preventing contraction and expansion or turbulence in the hot exhaust gases, for maintaining a substantially uniform rate of flow of gases through the port, and for decreasin to a minimum the period of time in w ich any unit quantity of hot gases is located within the port, thereby minimizing the radiation and conduction of heat therefrom to the surrounding parts;

By terminating the guide tubes formed in the cylinder block for the valve stems substantlally at their junctions with the ports instead of extending the guide tubes into the port passageways as is the usual practice, thereby maintaining maximum cross-sectional areas of the port passageways, for attaining maximum speed of gas flow therethrough, and substantially eliminating transfer of heat from the exhaust gases to the valve stem guide tube; v

By providing in the cooling apparatus, a delivery duct for the cooling medium which extends from the discharge side of the pump in a novel manner directly to the jacket chambers immediately beneath and around the valve seats and ports, and particularly the exhaust valve seats and ports.

A preferred embodiment of the improvements is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a plan View, with portions broken away, of an internal combustion hydrocarbon motor including the present improvements; and

Fig. 2, an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view thereof, as on line 22, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The internal combustion engine indicated generally at 10 includes, in combination with other usual parts of an internal combustion engine, a cylinder block 11 and a preferably separable cylinder head 12 mounted at one end thereof, normally the upper end.

The cylinder block 11 includes walls forming one or more cylinders 13 in each of which a piston 14 is operatively mounted, and the normally top wall 15 of the cylinder block has formed therein, for each cylinder, valve seat orifices 16, engirdled by symmetrically arranged metal orifice walls 16a of substantially uniform thickness, in the upper end of each of which a valve seat is formed, the valve seat 17 as illustrated being an exhaust valve seat, and there being a similar intake valve seat adjacent thereto and not shown.

The normally upper end of the cylinder block is closed by the cylinder head 12 and a dome pocket 18 is formed in the inner surface of the cylinder head above each cylinder, and each dome ocket extends across the adjacent open end 0 each cylinder and the exhaust and intake valve seats therefor, thereby forming the combustion chamber in the cylinder between the inner surface of the dome pocket, the upper surface of the cylinder block top wall, the inner cylindric surface of the cylinder, and the upper surface of the upper end of the piston.

A valve 19 is operatively associated with each valve seat, and each valve 19 includes a valve head 20 fitting in its seat 17, and a valve stem 21 depends from the head through a valve stem guide tube 22 formed in the cylinder block, and the wall of the valve stem guide tube 22 is preferably of uniform thick ness for attaining the ob ects of the present improvements.

Each valve head 20 is normally maintained in its seat 17 by usual means such as a compression spring 23, one end of which reacts against the lower end of its valve stem guide tube 22, and the other end of which reacts against a flanged washer 24 secured at the lower end of the valve stem 21.

Each valve stem 21 preferably reciprocates in a bearing tube 25 fitted in its valve stem guide tube 22, and each valve stem is reciprocated for unseating its valve head 20 and opening its valve orifice 16, in a usual manner as by means operatively mounted in the motor such as a push rod 26 actuated by a cam 27 on a cam shaft 28. i

The valve seat orifices 16 as aforesaid are formed in the normally top wall 15 of the cylinder block, and each valve seat orifice 16 is streamlined and connects directly with the upper end of a novel port or passageway 29 formed by a substantially straight tubular wall havin a substantially uniform thickness, and having a substantially uniform cross-section, and which connects directly at its lower end with a streamlined outlet port 30 formed in the adjacent side wall 31 of the cylinder block.

An exhaust manifold 32 is secured to the side Wall 31 of the engine, and includes an inlet orifice 33 for each port outlet orifice 30 and registering therewit For obtaining a Venturi tube effect, each valve seat orifice 16 and each outlet orifice 30 has a cross-section gradually increasing in area'from its connection with its port 29.

In other words each exhaust valve seat orifice 16 is internally stream lined and is connected by a longitudinally straight port or passageway 29 with an internally stream lined outlet orifice 30, each connected valve seat orifice and straight passageway and outlet orifice being internallycontinuous, and the minimum internal transverse cross sectional dimension of each connected valve seat orifice and straight passageway and outlet orifice being that of the straight passageway.

Communicating cooling medium jacket chambers 34, 35, and 36 are formed in the cylinder block and entirely surround the valve seat orifice walls16a, the port walls 29, and substantially the entire valve stem guide walls 22. I

Each valve stem guide tube 22 connects at its normally upper end with a port 29, and

each guide tube 22 terminates substantially at its connection with its port, and does not extend within the passageway 37 of the port, excepting for the relatively small corner 38 at the normally upper end of each guide tube 22, which is necessary to permit machining of the end surface 39 of the tube through the orifice 16 to permit forcing of the bearing tube 25 within the guide tube 22.

Thus terminating each guide tube substantially at its connection with its port, instead of extending the guide tube within the passageway of the port as is the usual practice, minimizes transfer of heat of the gases flowingethrough the port passageway to the guide tu by maintaining the port passageway at a substantially uniform area throughout its length, and by reducing the heat of friction of the gases which would otherwise flow around the guide tube if it extended into the port passageway.

Each of the novel ports 29 is thus substantially straight and unobstructed throughout its entire length, and the exhaust gases pass therethrough at a maximum velocity and with a minimum heat transfer to the surrounding parts. 9

The cooling medium jacket chambers 34, 35, and 36 communicate with each other and with other cooling medium jacket chambers 40 in the cylinder block, and 'cooling medium jacket chambers 41 and 42 in the cylinder head, in a usual manner.

The communicating cooling medium jacket chambers also communicate with a radiator, not shown, and with a pump 43, and the chambers, and the communicating passageways to, through, and from the radiator and pump are filled with a cooling medium such as water which is circulated through the several chambers for cooling the adjacent parts.

The ports, valve seats, and valve stem guides are the critical parts of the engine from the standpoint of cooling and novel means are provided for delivering the cooling medium to the chambers about these'parts directly from the discharge duct 44 of the pump 43, thereby flowing the cooling medium at its minimum temperature about the ports, valve seats, and valve stem guides.

The discharge duct 44 of the pump communicates with a duct 45 extending inwardly and upwardly throughthe crank case 46 of the en ine into an upwardly and inwardly gllitefidmg duct 47 formed in the cylinder The duct 47 communicates at its inner end with a preferably horizontal duct 48 extending transversely in the cylinder block preferably between the two central cylinders, and

. walls of the cylinder block preferably forminner surface of the cylinder head and the stem uides, and the duct 48 is preferably provi ed with a vertical end closure wall 49 extendin between the valve stem guide tubes 22 %orthe two centrally located valves which have Siamesed ports as illustrated.

The transverse duct 48 has side openings 50a and 506 formed therein at the end thereof immediately adjacent the ports 29 and the valve seat orifices 16 for the two central cylinders, which side olpenings communicate directly with the jac et chambers beneath the valve ports and valve seats and about the valve stem guides, whereby the cooling medium water is delivered at its minimum temperature directly from the pump discharge duct 44 to the jacket chambers about vthe valve ports, valve seats, and valve stem guides, and flows from the side openings 50a and 50b to the opposite ends of the cylinder block.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that the foregoing construction and arrangement of valves, valve seats, and ports may be applied to engines other than the L-head engine illustrated, for example by locating v the valves, valve heads, and ports in the cylinder head of a valve-in-the-head engine instead of in the cylinder block of the L-head en ine shown.

claim 1. In ;a hydrocarbon engine, a cylinder block and a cylinder head, walls of the cylinder block forming a row of cylinders, a piston operatively mounted in each cylinder, wallsiof each p1st0n,.of the cylinder head, and of each cylinder forming a combustion chamber between one end of the piston and an opposite inner surface of the cylinder head and the inner surface of the cylinder, a wall of each combustion chamber having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port connecting the orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, and a valve for each seat operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, there beingchambers formed in the cylinder block and surrounding the valve seat orifices, the walls of the cylinder block forming a duct extendin transversely into the chambers between ad acent cylinders, and the duct having an opening at one end immediately adj acent a valve seat orifice, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openings immediately adjacent the valve seat orifice.

2. In a hydrocarbon engine, a cylinder block and a cylinder head, walls of the cylinder block forming a row of cylinders, a piston operatively mounted in each cylinder, walls of each piston, of the cylinder head, and of each cylinder forming a combustion chamber between one end of the piston and an opposite inner surface of the c linder, a wall of each combustion chamber aving formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port connecting the orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, and a valve for each seat operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, there being chambers formed in the cylinder block and surrounding the valve seat orifices, a duct extending transversely into the chambers between adjacent cylinders, and the duct having side openings formed therein at one end within the chambers, each side openin being located immediately adjacent one o the va ve seat orifices, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openings immediately adjacent the valve seat orifices.

3. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a Egrt extending between the orifices, the port ing substantially straight throughout its length and having its one end directly connecting with thev valve seat orifice and its other end directly connecting with the outlet orifice, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat and a valve stem, a tubular wall of substantially uniform thickness forming a valve stem guide, and chambers formed in the engine and surrounding substantially the entire valve stem guide, the chambers being adapted for circulating a cooling medium.

4. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a-

port extending between the orifices, the port being substantially straight throughout its length and having its one end directly connecting with the valve seat orifice and its other end directly connecting with the outlet orifice, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat and a valve stem, a tubular wall of substantially uniform thickness forming a valve stem guide, and chambers formed in .the engine and surrounding substantially the entire valve stem guide and the port, the chambers being adapted for circulating a cooling medium.

5. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port extending between the orifices, the port being substantially straight throughout its length and having its one end directly connecting with the valve seat orifice and its other end directly connecting with the outlet orifice, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat and a valve stem, a tubular wall of substantially uniform thickness forming'a valve stem guide, and chambers formed in the engine and surrounding substantially the entire valve stem guide, the rt, and the valve seat orifice, the chambers ing adapted for circulating a cooling medium.

6. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port connecting the orifices, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifice, a duct having a side opening at one end immediately adjacent the port at the valve seat orifice, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the opening immediately -djacent the port at the valve seat orifice.

7. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port extending between the orifices, the port being substantially straight throughout its lengt and having its one end directly connecting with the valve seat orifice and its other end directly connecting with the outlet orifice, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifice, a duct having an opening at one end immediately adjacent the port at the valve seat orifice, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the opening immediately adjacent the port at the valve seat orifice. v

8. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a row of valve seat orifices, an adjacent wall having formed therein other orifices, ports each communicatingly connecting one of the valve seat orifices with one of the other orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, a valve for eachvalve seat operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifices, a duct extending transversely of the row of orifices and havin side openings at one end each located imme iately adjacent one of the valve seat orifices, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openings immediately adjacent the valve seat orifices and in the direction of the row of orifices.

9. In an engine, a wall having formed one of the valve seat orifices and its other end directly connecting with one of tlie other orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, a valve for each valve seat operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifices, a duct havin side openlngs at one end each located imme iately adjacent one of the valve seat orifices, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openings immediately adjacent the valve seat origees and in the direction of the row of orices.

10. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port connecting the orifices, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve 0 ratively mounted in the engine and inclu ing a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifice, a duct extending-transversely of the engine into the chambers and having an end closure within the chambers and an opening immediately adjacent the valve seat orifice, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the opening immediately adjacent the valve seat orifice.

11. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a valve seat orifice, an adjacent wall having formed therein an outlet orifice, a port extending between the orifices, the port being substantially straight throughout its length and having its one end directly connecting with the valve seat orifice and its other end directly connecting with the outlet orifice, a valve seat formed in the valve seat orifice, a valve operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifice, a duct extending into the chambers and having an end closure within the chambers and an opening immediately adjacent the valve seat orifice, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the opening immediately adjacent the valve seat orifice.

12. In an engine, a wall having formed therein a row of valve seat orifices, an adjacent wall having formed therein other orifices, ports each communicatingly connecting one of the valve seat orifices with one of the other orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, a valve for each valve seat eratively mounted in the en inc and 1n- 0 uding a head for fitting in t e seat, and

5 there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifice, a duct extending transversely of the row of orifices and into the chambers and having an end closure within the chambers and side openings each located immediately adjacent one of the valve seat orifices, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openin s immediately adjacent the valve seat orifices and in the direction of the row of orifices.

13. In an en 'ne, a wall having formed therein a row 0 valve seat orifices, an adjacent wall having formed therein other ori-v fices, ports extending between the valve seat orifices and the other orifices, each port bein substantially straight throughout its lengtl and having its one end directly connecting with one of the valve seat orifices and its other end directly connecting with one of the other orifices, a valve seat formed in each valve seat orifice, a valve for each valve seat operatively mounted in the engine and including a head for fitting in the seat, and

there being chambers formed in the engine and surrounding the valve seat orifices, a duct extending into the chambers and having an end closure Within the chambers and side openings each located immediately adjacent one of the valve seat orifices, and the other end of the duct being adapted for connection with means for circulating a cooling medium into the duct and out the openings immediately adJacent the valve seat orifices and in 40 the direction of the row of orifices. v

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES BALOUGH. 

